Norse Creation and Destruction of the World | Norse Mythology Norse Creation and Destruction of the World People Category: Norse Mythology Hits: 5035 World of Fire and Ice Originally there was a chasm, Ginnungagap, bounded on either side by fire (from the world known as Muspelheim) and ice (from the world known as Niflheim). Ymir In Norse mythology, Ymir is the primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants. He was created from the melting ice of Niflheim, when it came in contact with the hot air from Muspell. From Ymir's sleeping body the first giants sprang forth: one of his legs fathered a son on his other leg while from under his armpit a man and women grew out. The frost kept melting and from the drops the divine cow Audumla was created. From her udder flowed four rivers of milk, on which Ymir fed. The cow itself got nourishment by licking hoar frost and salt from the ice.

On the evening on the first day the hair of a man appeared, on the second day the whole head and on the third day it became a man, Buri, the first god. His grandchildren are Odin, Ve and Vili. Odin and his brothers had no liking for Ymir, nor for the growing number of giants, and killed him. In the huge amount of blood that flowed from Ymir's wounds all the giants, except two, drowned. From the slain body the brothers created heaven and earth. They used the flesh to fill the Ginnungagap; his blood to create the lakes and the seas; from his unbroken bones they made the mountains; the giant's teeth and the fragments of his shattered bones became rocks and boulders and stones; trees were made from his hair, and the clouds from his brains. Odin and his brothers raised Ymir's skull and made the sky from it and beneath its four corners they placed a dwarf. Finally, from Ymir's eyebrow they shaped Midgard, the realm of man. The maggots which swarmed in Ymir's flesh they gave wits and the shape of men, but they live under the hills and mountains. They are called dwarfs.

Bergelmir In Norse myth, Bergelmir was the son of Thrudgelmir and the grandson of Aurgelmir (Ymir). In the enormous amount of blood which flowed freely after Ymir's death, all the frost giants died, except Bergelmir and his wife. Just before the end they climbed into a hollow tree trunk and could thus survive. When things settled down, they became the progenitors of a new, younger race of frost giants. Jormungand In Norse mythology, Jormungand is one of the three children of the god Loki and his wife, the giantess Angrboda. The gods were well aware that this monster was growing fast and that it would one day bring much evil upon gods and men. So Odin deemed it advisable to render it harmless. He threw the serpent in the ocean that surrounds the earth, but the monster had grown to such an enormous size that it easily spans the entire world, hence the name Midgard Serpent. It lies deep in the ocean where it bites itself in its tail, and all mankind is caught within his coils. At the destruction of the universe, Jormungand and Thor will kill each other.

Yggdrasil From Ymir's body grew an ash tree named Yggdrasil whose branches covered the known world and supported the universe. Yggdrasil ("The Terrible One's Horse"), also called the World Tree, is the giant ash tree that links and shelters all the worlds. Ygdrasil had three roots going to each of the 3 levels of the world. One root went into Asgard, the home of the gods, another went into the land of the giants, Jotunheim, and a third went to that primeval world of ice, darkness, and the dead, known as Niflheim. Three wells lie at its base: the Well of Wisdom (Mímisbrunnr), guarded by Mimir; the Well of Fate (Urdarbrunnr), guarded by the Norns; and the Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle), the source of many rivers. Four deer run across the branches of the tree and eat the buds; they represent the four winds. There are other inhabitants of the tree, such as the squirrel Ratatosk ("swift teeth"), a notorious gossip, and Vidofnir ("tree snake"), the golden cock that perches on the topmost bough.

The roots are gnawed upon by Nidhogg and other serpents. On the day of Ragnarok, the fire giant Surt will set the tree on fire. Other names for the tree include: Ask Yggdrasil, Hoddmimir's Wood, Laerad and Odin's Horse. Old Norse: Mimameidr The Three Norns In Norse mythology, the Norns are the demi-goddesses of destiny. They control the destinies of both gods and men, as well as the unchanging laws of the cosmos. They are represented as three sisters: Urd ("fate"), Verdandi ("necessity") and Skuld ("being"). They live at the base of the World Tree Yggdrasil in the realm of Asgard. Nothing lasts forever, and even the mighty Yggdrasil is subject to decay. The Norns try to stop this process, or at least slow it down, by pouring mud and water from the Well of Fate over its branches. This magical liquid stops the rotting process for the time being. In other myths, the Norns were thought to give assistance at birth, and that each person has his own personal Norn.

The spring by the Asgard root was cared for by the 3 Norns, goddesses of fate: * Urdur (the past) * Skuld (the future) The Nine Worlds of Norse Mythology In Norse mythology there are 9 worlds that are divided among three levels all held together by the world tree, Ygdrasil. Upper Level Asgard Asgard, in Norse mythology, is one of the nine worlds and the homeland of the Aesir, the race of warrior gods. Located on the highest level of the Norse universe, it is surrounded by a high wall of closely fitted stone blocks. The walls surrounding Asgard were built by Blast (or Hrimthurs), who asked in payment the hand of Freya plus the sun and the moon. Odin agreed providing the walls be complete in six months. Hrimthurs had a magic horse, named Svadilfari, who helped him in his work. To Odin's (and the other gods, especially Freya's) horror, with but a few days left, Blast was almost finished. Loki, the trickster, turned himself into a mare and beguiled the stallion Svadilfari away.

The job was not completed in time and no payment was given. Also found on this level are the worlds of Alfheim and Vanaheim as well as Valhalla, an immense hall where warriors slain in battle await the final conflict. In the middle of Asgard lies the plain of Idavoll (or Ida) where the Aesir meet to decide important issues. There the gods assemble in the hall of Gladsheim and the goddesses in the hall of Vingolf. The gods also meet daily at the Well of Urd, beneath the Asgard root of the ash tree Yggdrasil. Alfheim Alfheim ("elf home"), in Norse mythology, is one of the nine worlds. It is located on the highest level of the Norse universe. Also found on this level are the worlds of Asgard and Vanaheim. Alfheim is the palace of the god Freyr and the homeland of the elves of light. Neither the elves of light nor the elves of darkness, who live in Svartalfheim, participate in any of the events described in the Norse myths. Elves do, however, have active roles in the literature of quite a few of the other branches of Indo-European mythology.

Vanaheim Vanaheim ("home of the Vanir") is the land of the Vanir. It is located in Asgard, on the highest level of the universe. Valhalla Valhalla, Hall of the Slain, in Norse mythology is the hall presided over by Odin. This vast hall has five hundred and forty doors. The rafters are spears, the hall is roofed with shields and breast-plates litter the benches. A wolf guards the western door and an eagle hovers over it. It is here that the Valkyries, Odin's messengers and spirits of war, bring half of the heroes that died on the battle fields (the rest go to Freya's hall Folkvang). These heroes, the Einherjar, are prepared in Valhalla for the oncoming battle of Ragnarok. When the battle commences, eight hundred warriors will march shoulder to shoulder out of each door. Old Norse: Valhöll Middle Level Midgard In Norse myth, the defensive fortress which the gods build about the middle portion of the earth allotted to men in order to protect mankind from the giants.

Midgard ("middle world") is on the same level as Nidavellir (land of the dwarfs), Svartalfheim (land of the dark elves/dwarfs) and Jotunheim (the land of the giants). Jotunheim Jotunheim is one of the nine worlds, the homeland of the frost giants and rock giants. Situated in Midgard, on the middle level of the Norse universe, Jotunheim is separated from Asgard by the river Iving, which never freezes over. It lies in the snowy regions on the outermost shores of the ocean. Mimir's well of wisdom is in Jotunheim, beneath the Midgard root of the ash tree Yggdrasil. Jotunheim is ruled by Thrym ("uproar"), the feared king of the frost giants. The stronghold of Utgard, the chief city of Jotunheim and the abode of the giants, is ruled by the giant Utgard-Loki. Other strongholds include Gastropnir, home of the giantess Menglad, and Thrymheim ("house of uproar"), mountain stronghold of the giant Thiazi.

Svartalfar The black elves of Norse mythology who grew from the maggots of Ymir's flesh. They live in the earth and in stones. Although they have the shape of men, they are often misshapen. Their home is Svartalfheim, which lies under the earth, and here they stay during daylight on pain of being turned to stone. The Svartalfar are often identified with the dvergar (dwarfs) and are hard to distinguish from the Döckálfar (the earth-dwelling ones). Lower Level Niflheim Niflheim ("house of mists") is the far northern region of icy fogs and mists, darkness and cold. It is situated on the lowest level of the universe. The realm of death, Helheim is part of the vast, cold region. Niflheim lies underneath the third root of Yggdrasil, close to the spring Hvergelmir ("roaring cauldron"). Also situated on this level is Nastrond, the Shore of Corpses, where the serpent Nidhogg eats corpses and gnaws on the roots of Yggdrasil.

After Ragnarok, there will be a hall here for the punishment of murderers, oath breakers, and philanderers. Helheim Helheim ("house of Hel") is one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology. It is ruled by Hel, the monstrous daughter of the trickster god Loki and his wife Angrboda. This cold, dark and misty abode of the dead is located in the world of Niflheim, on the lowest level of the Norse universe. No one can ever leave this place, because of the impassable river Gjoll that flows from the spring Hvergelmir and encircles Helheim. Once they enter Helheim, not even the gods can leave. Those who die of old age or disease, and those not killed in battle, go to Helheim while those who die bravely on the battlefield go to Valhalla. The entrance to Helheim is guarded by Garm, a monstrous hound, and Modgud. The giant Hraesvelg ("corpse eater") sits at the edge of the world, overlooking Helheim. In the form of an eagle with flapping wings he makes the wind blow.

Old Norse: Niflheimr The Gods' Death The Norse gods are not immortal in the normal sense. In the end, they and the world will be destroyed because of the actions of the evil or mischievous god Loki who, for now, endures Promethean chains. Loki is the son or brother of Odin, but only through adoption. In reality he is a giant (Jotnar), one of the sworn enemies of the Aesir. It is the Jotnar who will find the gods at Ragnarok and bring about the end of the world. Ragnarok Ragnarok ("Doom of the Gods"), also called Gotterdammerung, means the end of the cosmos in Norse mythology. It will be preceded by Fimbulvetr, the winter of winters. Three such winters will follow each other with no summers in between. Conflicts and feuds will break out, even between families, and all morality will disappear. This is the beginning of the end. The wolf Skoll will finally devour the sun, and his brother Hati will eat the moon, plunging the earth [into] darkness. The stars will vanish from the sky.

The cock Fjalar will crow to the giants and the golden cock Gullinkambi will crow to the gods. A third cock will raise the dead. The earth will shudder with earthquakes, and every bond and fetter will burst, freeing the terrible wolf Fenrir. The sea will rear up because Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is twisting and writhing in fury as he makes his way toward the land. With every breath, Jormungand will stain the soil and the sky with his poison. The waves caused by the serpent's emerging will set free the ship Naglfar, and with the giant Hymir as their commander, the giants will sail towards the battlefield. From the realm of the dead a second ship will set sail, and this ship carries the inhabitants of hell, with Loki as their helmsman. The fire giants, led by the giant Surt, will leave Muspell in the south to join against the gods. Surt, carrying a sword that blazes like the sun itself, will scorch the earth. Meanwhile, Heimdall will sound his horn, calling the sons of Odin and the heroes to the battlefield.

From all the corners of the world, gods, giants, dwarves, demons and elves will ride towards the huge plain of Vigrid ("battle shaker") where the last battle will be fought. Odin will engage Fenrir in battle, and Thor will attack Jormungand. Thor will victorious, but the serpent's poison will gradually kill the god of thunder. Surt will seek out the swordless Freyr, who will quickly succumb to the giant. The one-handed Tyr will fight the monstrous hound Garm and they will kill each other. Loki and Heimdall, age-old enemies, will meet for a final time, and neither will survive their encounter. The fight between Odin and Fenrir will rage for a long time, but finally Fenrir will seize Odin and swallow him. Odin's son Vidar will at once leap towards the wolf and kill him with his bare hands, ripping the wolf's jaws apart. Then Surt will fling fire in every direction. The nine worlds will burn, and friends and foes alike will perish. The earth will sink into the sea. After the destruction, a new and idyllic world will arise from the sea and will be filled with abundant supplies.

Some of the gods will survive, others will be reborn. Wickedness and misery will no longer exist and gods and men will live happily together. The descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir will inhabit this earth. Ragnarök does not mean "Twilight of the Gods"; that phrase is the result of a famous mistranslation. "Ragnarökr" or "Ragnarøkr" means "doom of the powers" or "destruction of the powers" (where "powers" means "gods"). Primary Source for this article: Encyclopedia Mythica. 2010. Encyclopedia Mythica Online. 03 Dec. 2010 . by Micha F. Lindemans This weekend is Ragnarok. But it isn't the end of the world. This weekend is Ragnarok. But it isn't the end of the world. Go to permalink You may have read that this weekend is supposed to mark the coming of Ragnarok, the violent "Viking Apocalypse" prophesied in Old Norse poetry. But the mythical apocalypse that inspired Game of Thrones' long winter isn't actually on the books—and may refer to events that happened centuries ago.

It was just a little over a year ago that we were talking about the Maya non-apocalypse , and now it's the vikings turn to kind of, sort of predict the world's end. Stories are swirling around the Internet that February 22nd marks the "predicted" date of Ragnarok , which will coincide with this weekend's Jorvik Viking Festival . But don't stock up on wolf-repellent just yet; this isn't the end of the world. How many times do I have to tell you the Maya didn't give a shit about your dumb apocalypse? How many times do I have to tell you the Maya didn't give a shit about your dumb apocalypse? How many times do I have to tell you the Maya… There are two things I am pissed about. One, the new age dumbasses who think that the ancient Maya… Read more Read more Important scheduling note: Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Viking apocalypse, is predicted to occur on… Read more Read more What is Ragnarok? Ragnarok is an event that is referenced in a handful of poems in the Poetic Edda and in Gylfaginning, a book from the Prose Edda.

The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems that were collected in the 13th century (but in some cases composed centuries earlier) and it informs much of our current knowledge about Norse mythology. The Prose Edda is another compilation of Old Norse poems, likely written out by the Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, also in the 13th century. Gylfaginning is the second book in the Prose Edda (following the Prologue), and it focuses on the creation and destruction of the world in Norse mythology, quoting heavily from works in the Poetic Edda. Various stone carvings dating from the 10th and 11th centuries also depict images believed to be scenes from Ragnarok, notably Odin, the Allfather of the gods, being devoured by the wolf Fenrir, son of the trickster god Loki.

GIF Both the Völuspá (a poem from the Poetic Edda in which a seeress relates the lore of the giants and gods and goes on to predict the gods destruction) and the Gylfaginning discuss at length the final battle between the gods of Asgard (the Æsir) and the Jötnar (giants), joined by the monstrous children of Loki and the Eldjötnar (fire giants). Although the two poems contradict each other in places, several events overlap: Jörmungandr, the serpent that surrounds the world (and is another child of Loki) will cause the seas to quake; Fenrir swallows Odin whole but is then immediately slain by Odin's son Víðarr; the god Thor manages to kill Jörmungandrm, but is fatally poisoned by the serpent and dies after walking a mere nine steps away. In the Gylfaginning, Loki and the Æsir Heimdallr battle and kill one another. Advertisement Advertisement Ragnarok sees the destruction of the world and the heavens; the jötunn Sutr, who guards the fiery realm Muspelheim, burns the mortal world (Midgard) and Asgard.

However, Ragnarok isn't just the end of the world; it's also a time of renewal. A new, fertile earth is supposed to rise from the seas and a field called Iðavöllr stands in Asgard's place, and the Asgardian survivors of Ragnarok, joined by the dead gods Baldr and Höðr, will gather there, will gather there. Thus, the cycle of the cosmos begins anew. Winter is (Not) Coming The final battle of the gods and giants doesn't come unannounced, however. Vafþrúðnismál, the third poem in the Poetic Edda, references a "Fimbulvetr" (also termed Fimbulwinter) a "mighty winter" that is linked to Ragnarok. According to the Gylfaginning, Ragnarok will be preceded by three successive winters, in which snow blows from all directions, with no summer between them. It is a time not just of cold and starvation but of violence; wars will rage, family members will kill each other "for greed's sake," and siblings will commit incest with one another. After that, a wolf will swallow the sun.

According to both works, only two humans survive the events of Ragnarok: Líf and Lífthrasir, who will repopulate the new world. It's possible that the idea of the pre-apocalyptic Fimbulvetr was inspired by real-life climate events. In an article in Antiquity , Bo Gräslund and Neil Price link the myth to the long winter that began in 536 . They note that the Gylfaginning refers to very specific weather conditions and duration—three years of winter, the sun being useless, snow drifting in from all directions—and that there is some evidence that material culture described in the poem comes from the mid-sixth century. That years-long winter of long ago may have such a profound mark on the psyche of the Nordic culture that it became a marker of the apocalypse. A winter that lasts years isn't just a problem in Game of Thrones. Roughly 1500 years ago, our … Read more Read more Why is this weekend supposed to be Ragnarok? Because the organizers of the Jorvik Viking Festival say so. In fact, all of the announcements of Ragnarok coming out of the festival have been playful rather than dire.

In November, the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, England, announced that a figure had blown what they called the Gjallerhorn, the mythical horn of Heimdallr, signaling a 100-day countdown to Ragnarok. When I inquired as to what makes this year the year of Ragnarok, the organization pointed me to their "Signs of Ragnarok" page . Aside from blowing of the Gjallerhorn (which the Centre itself organized), they analogized the movements of the serpent Jörmungandr to the oarfish that recently beached themselves in California and the Fimbulvetr to the mistaken predictions of the coming ice age . It just so happens that these "predictions" of Ragnorak place its start date during the Viking Centre's annual celebration of the viking feast of Jolablot this weekend. In interviews about the coming Ragnarok, it's clear that the organizers aren't terribly attached to the idea of the apocalypse, noting that Jolablot celebrates the start of spring, which, like Ragnarok, is a time of renewal.

The story of Ragnarok and the Apocalypse | Ancient Origins 17 February, 2014 - 11:09 johnblack The story of Ragnarok and the Apocalypse (Read the article on one page) In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a series of apocalyptic events that will define the end of the world, where giants of frost and fire will together fight the gods in a final battle that will ultimately destroy the planet, submerging it under water. According to the legend, the world will resurface, the surviving and returning gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors. Brothers will fight and kill each other, sisters' children will defile kinship. It is harsh in the world, whoredom rife —an axe age, a sword age —shields are riven— a wind age, a wolf age— before the world goes headlong. No man will have mercy on another. Dronke (1997:19) Norse mythology is divided in two major groups of gods – the Giants (Jotnar), Aesir, and Vanir.

The Giants were the ones that came first and lived in in Jötunheimr, one of the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. They were banished there by the Aesir, who refused them entry to their world, Asgard. The Giants frequently interact with the Aesir and the Vanir, usually in opposition to, or in competition with them. The god Loki was the son of a Giant and was known as a trickster god with the ability to shape shift. His role in Norse mythology is unique and controversial since he appears to both help the gods and hinder them. He was also permitted to live with the Aesir in Asgard. Loki fathered many offspring, including an eight legged horse (Sleiphnir) used by Odin, a dragon, and the wolf Fenrir who plays his role in the apocalyptic Ragnarok. According to the story, Loki tricked the blind god of winter, Hod (Hoor), an action that resulted in the death of the god Balder , son of goddess Frigg and god Odin. Because of this, he was punished and cast into a cliff where he was to remain bound until Ragnarok, the end of the world.

This bears similarities to the punishment of Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology, who was bound to a rock for giving the ability to make fire to humanity. Like the Christian apocalypse, Ragnarok sets out a series of signs that will ultimately define the end of times. The first sign is the Fimbulvetr, a long and continuous cold winter with constant snow that will last for a year. A red rooster called Fjalar will warn the Giants that the Ragnarok has begun. A second rooster will warn all the dead that Ragnarok has begun. Finally, a third red rooster called Gullinkambi , a rooster that lives in Valhalla, a majestic hall located in Asgard, will warn all the gods about the beginning of the end. The god Heimdallr will use his trumpet to play a specific tone that will be heard in Valhalla, and this will bring the dead back to life and they will march to the realm called Vigrid (the place of battles), where the final battle will take place. The seas will be torn and the World Serpent, a serpent so large that he surrounds the earth and grasps his own tail, will raise itself from the depths of the oceans to join the battle.

The gods Balder and Hod will also return from the dead to fight in this great final battle. Loki and his horde, as well as the frost Giants, will sail to Vigrid in order to battle against the Aesir on a ship made of the nails of dead men like a ghost ship. All monsters and giants like the flame giant Surtr, Hel’s dog Carm, the wolf Fenrir (Fenris), and the leader of the giants, Hrym, will create a powerful army against the gods. The result of the war will be that Thor and Odin and most of the gods will die, and the dragons will release fire that will destroy all life on Earth. But this is not the end. Things will start again with a new race, a new world will arise from the depths of the seas. The first two mortals will be called Lif (woman) and Lifthrasir (man) and they will repopulate Earth. The gods Vali and Vidar, as well as the sons of Thor and Hoenir, who survive the battle, will go to Idavoll, which will not be destroyed in Ragnarok.

The gods Balder and Hoder will be returned to life and a new era will begin. The apocalyptic story of Ragnarok shows the battle between gods, a battle with severe consequences for both humans and gods. The humans are the ‘collateral damage’ in this war between the gods, much like in Hindu mythology. This distinguishes Ragnarok from the Christian apocalypse in which humans are punished for not being loyal and faithful to God. Ragnarök | Marvel Database | Fandom powered by Wikia ... [2] Ragnarök The giant Wolf Skoll will finally devour Solveig the Sun Goddess, and his brother Hati will eat Mani Solveig's brother the Moon God, plunging Midgard and the Nine Worlds into complete darkness. The stars will vanish from the sky. The cockerel Fjalar will crow to the Giants and the golden cockerel Gullinkambi will crow to the Asgardians . A third cockerel will raise the dead of Hel .[ citation needed ] Midgard will be struck with earthquakes, the Fenris Wolf will be released from its chains.

The sea will rise up because Jormungand , the Midgard Serpent, is twisting and writhing in fury as he makes his way towards dry land.[ citation needed ] With every breath, Jormungand will stain the soil and the sky with his poison. The waves caused by the serpent's emerging will set free the ship Naglfar, and with the giant Hymir as their commander, the Frost Giants will sail towards the battlefield. From the realm of the dead a second ship will set sail, and this ship carries the inhabitants of Hel , with the trickster god Loki as its commander.[ citation needed ] The fire giant Surtur , will leave Muspelheim with his children ,to join forces against the gods. Surtur, carrying a sword that blazes like the sun itself, will scorch the earth.[ citation needed ] Meanwhile, in Asgard Heimdall will sound his horn, calling all the people of Asgard and the fallen heroes of Valhalla to the battlefield.

From all the corners of the Nine Worlds , Gods , Giants , Dwarves , Demons , Dark Elves and Light Elves will ride towards the huge plain of Vigrid "battle shaker" where the last battle will be fought.[ citation needed ] Odin will battle with the Fenris Wolf in battle, and his son Thor will attack Jormungand.[ citation needed ] Thor will defeat the creature, but the serpent's poison will gradually kill the thunder god. Surtur will seek out the unarmed Frey , who will be quickly killed in the fight. The one-handed warrior Tyr Odinson will fight the monstrous hel-hound Garm and they will kill each other. Loki and Heimdall, will meet for a final time, and neither will survive the fight.[ citation needed ] The fight between Odin and the Fenris Wolf will last for a long time, but finally Fenris will swallow Odin whole. Odin's son Vidar will then kill the creature with his bare hands, ripping the wolf's jaws apart.[ citation needed ] Surtur will fling fire in every direction, burning the Nine Worlds, killing most of it's inhabitants.[ citation needed ] After the destruction, a new world rise with new life.

Some of the gods will survive, others will be reborn. The descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir will inhabit this earth.[ citation needed ] ... History The Ragnarök is part of a cycle that repeat over and over, with variations in each era and its end. Era of the First Ragnarök Price and the Post-Ragnarok Humans An eccentric physicist named Price, after ingesting hallucinogens became obsessed with Ragnarok, and what humanity would be like after the world ending in fire. So he created the World engine, which tricked Yggdrasill into believing Ragnarok had already occurred, and began created a new race of humans.[ citation needed ] "Nursed on nothing but the morning dew" according to Price. The Post-Ragnarok Humans were gestated in sap-filled boughs that grew on Yggdrasil's branches. They were designed to exist in an environment filled with ash, in which they would "eat". Unfortunately, because this atmosphere didn't actually exist, they all began starving to death only moments after being born.[ citation needed ] The Norse Pantheon - The Norse Pantheon: (The Norse Pantheon) Major Gods, The Norse Pantheon The Norse Pantheon - The Norse Pantheon: (The Norse...

SCHOOL View Full Document This is the end of the preview. Sign up to access the rest of the document. Unformatted text preview: The Norse Pantheon: (The Norse Pantheon) Major Gods, Goddesses, and the Afterlife of the West's Viking Empire FYI: Not that you didn't already guess, but it appears that I am a god... Just for Fun: Modi was the god of battle wrath. His worshippers were the archetypal berserks, some relying on drugs of various kinds to enhance their wrath and stifle fear. The berserks would go so insane that they would attack rocks, trees, and bite their own shields in the absence of enemies. Whereas a god like Posiedon has his domain listed as "the sea", Modi's domain is simply listed as "rage". Pezzulo? The collective name for the principal race of Norse gods; they who lived in Asgard, and with the All-Father Odin, ruled the lives of mortal men.

The Aesir gods included: (god of beauty) Bragi (god of eloquence) Forseti (god of mediation) Freyr (god of fertility) Heimdall (guardian of the bridge) Hod (the blind god) Loki (god of fire and ally of the frost giants) Njord (the sea god) Thor (god of thunder) Tyr (god of war) Vili & Ve (brothers to Odin) Vidar (Odin's son) The goddesses included: Freya (the fertility goddess) Balder Frigg (Odin's wife) Sif (Thor's wife) Idun (keeper of the apples of youth). Aesir might be derived from the old-Teutonic word Ase, the common word for "god". Loki Valhalla & Helheim Odin Thor The Valkyries Ragnarok Doom of the Gods Fenrir The Terrible Wolf The World Tree Tyr God of War Thor: God of Thunder Thor: God of Thunder Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is a son of Odin and Jord, and one of the most powerful gods. He is married to Sif, a fertility goddess.

His mistress is the giantess Jarnsaxa ("iron cutlass"), and their sons are Magni & Modi; his daughter is Thrud. Thor is helped by Thialfi, his servant and the messenger of the gods. Thor was usually portrayed as a large, powerful man with a red beard and eyes of lightning. Despite his ferocious appearance, he was very popular as the protector of both gods and humans against the forces of evil. He even surpassed his father Odin in popularity because, contrary to Odin, he did not require human sacrifices. In his temple at Uppsala he was shown standing with Odin at his right side. This temple was replaced by a Christian church in 1080. The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode through the heavens on his chariot pulled by goats. Yes...flying goats...and they had names, too. Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer Mjollnir. Thor wears the belt Megingjard which doubles his already considerable strength. His hall is Bilskirnir, which is located in the region Thrudheim ("place of might"). His greatest enemy is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent.

At the day of Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die from its poison. His sons will inherit his hammer after his death. The Romans see in him their god Jupiter. Thursday is named after him. Loki Magic : God of Fire and Loki: God of Fire and Magic Loki is one of the major deities in the Norse pantheon. He is a son of the giant Farbauti ("cruel striker") & the giantess Laufey. He is regarded as one of Aesir, but is on occasion their enemy. He is connected with fire and magic, and can assume many different shapes (horse, falcon, fly). He is crafty and malicious, but is also heroic: in that aspect he can be compared with the trickster from North American myths. Loki is an ambivalent god grows progressively more unpleasant, and is directly responsible for the death of Balder, the god of light. Loki's mistress is the giantess Angrboda, and with her, he is the father of three monsters. His wife is Sigyn, who stayed loyal to him, even when the gods punished him for the death of Balder.

He was chained to three large boulders; one under his shoulders, one under his loins and one under his knees. A poisonous snake was placed above his head. The dripping venom that lands on him is caught by Sigyn in a bowl. But every now and then, when the bowl is filled to the brim, she has to leave him to empty it. Then the poison that falls on Loki's face makes him twist in pain, causing earthquakes. On the day of Ragnarok, Loki's chains will break and he will lead the giants into battle against the gods. Loki is often called the Sly One, the Trickster, the Shape Changer, and the Sky Traveler. Odin : Father of the Gods Odin The Father of the Gods : The chief divinity of the Norse pantheon. Odin is a son of Bor & Bestla. He is called Alfadir (Allfather): he is father of the gods. He fathered Thor with the goddess Jord; & giantess Grid became the mother of Vidar. Odin is a god of war and death, but also the god of poetry and wisdom. He hung for nine days, pierced by his own spear, on the world tree.

Here he learned nine powerful songs, and eighteen runes. Odin can make the dead speak so he can question the wisest amongst them. His hall in Asgard is Valaskjalf ("shelf of the slain") where his throne Hlidskjalf is located. From this throne he observes all that happens in the nine worlds. He also resides in Valhalla, where the slain warriors are taken. Odin's attributes are the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target, the ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appear, and his eight-footed steed Sleipnir. He is accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gives his food for he himself consumes nothing but wine. Odin has only one eye, which blazes like the sun. His other eye he traded for a drink from the Well of Wisdom. He gained immense knowledge. On the day of the final battle, Odin will be killed by the wolf Fenrir. He is also called Othinn, Wodan and Wotan. Wednesday is named after him (Wodan).

The World Tree The Original Tree of Life : The World Tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly IndoEuropean religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its roots, the underground. It may also be strongly connected to the motif of the tree of life The World Tree is called Yggdrasill in Norse Mythology. Yggdrasil ("The Terrible One's Horse"), also called the World Tree, is the giant ash tree that links and shelters all the worlds. Beneath the three roots the realms of Asgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim are located. Three wells lie at its base: the Well of Wisdom (Mmisbrunnr), guarded by Mimir; the Well of Fate (Urdarbrunnr), guarded by the Norns; and the Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle), the source of many rivers. Four deer run across the branches of the tree and eat the buds; they represent the four winds.

There are other inhabitants of the tree, such as the squirrel Ratatosk ("swift teeth"), a notorious gossip, and Vidofnir ("tree snake"), the golden rooster that perches on the topmost bough. The roots are gnawed upon by Nidhogg and other serpents. Nidhogg ("tearer of corpses") is a monstrous serpent that gnaws almost perpetually at the deepest root of the World Tree Yggdrasil, threatening to destroy it. The serpent is always bickering with the eagle that houses in the top of the tree. Nidhogg eats corpses to sustain itself. On the day of Ragnarok, the fire giant Surt will set the tree on fire. Other names for the tree include: Ask Yggdrasil, Hoddmimir's Wood, Laerad and Odin's Horse. Tyr The One-Handed & Original God of War : Tyr The One-Handed & Original God of War : The original Germanic god of war and the patron god of justice. The precursor of Odin. At the time of the Vikings, Tyr had to make way for Odin, who became the god of war himself. Tyr was by then regarded as Odin's son.

He is the boldest of the gods, who inspires courage and heroism in battle. Tyr is represented as a man with one hand, because his right hand was bitten off by the gigantic wolf Fenrir (in old-Norse, the wrist was called 'wolf-joint'). His attribute is a spear; the symbol of justice, as well as a weapon. At the day of Ragnarok, Tyr will kill the hound Garm, the guardian of the hell, but will die from the wounds inflicted by the animal. In later mythology, "Tyr" became to mean "god". He is also known as Twaz, Tiw and Ziu. Fenrir The Terrible Wolf : Fenrir The Terrible Wolf : Fenrir The Terrible : Wolf (or Fenris) Fenrir is a gigantic & terrible monster in the shape of a wolf. He is Fenrir Greyback's namesake from the Harry Potter series. He is the eldest child of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. The gods learned of a prophecy which stated that the wolf and his family would one day be responsible for the destruction of the world. They caught the wolf and locked him in a cage.

Only the god of war, Tyr, dared to feed and take care of the wolf. The Tale of Fenrir's Chaining, the Thin Ribbon, and Tyr's Hand: Gleipnir: the footstep of a cat; the roots of a mountain; a woman's beard; the breath of fishes; the sinews of a bear; and a bird's spittle. Being very pleased with themselves, the gods carried Fenrir off and chained him to a rock (called Gioll) a mile down into the earth. They put a sword between his jaws to prevent him from biting. On the day of Ragnarok, Fenrir will break his chains and join the giants in their battle against the gods. He will seek out Odin and devour him. Vidar, Odin's son, will avenge his father by killing the wolf. Ragnarok ("Doom of the Gods"), also called Gotterdammerung, means the end of the cosmos in Norse mythology. mythology It will be preceded by Fimbulvetr, the winter of winters. Three such winters will follow each other with no summers in between. Conflicts and feuds will break out, even between families, and all morality will disappear.

The wolf Skoll will finally devour the sun, and his brother Hati will eat the moon, plunging the earth into darkness. The stars will vanish from the sky. The rooster Fjalar will crow to the giants and the golden rooster Gullinkambi will crow to the gods. A third rooster will raise the dead. The earth will shudder with earthquakes, and every bond and fetter will burst, freeing the terrible wolf Fenrir. The sea will rear up because Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, is twisting and writhing in fury as he makes his way toward the land. With every breath, Jormungand will stain the soil and the sky with his poison. The waves caused by the serpent's emerging will set free the ship Naglfar, and with the giant Hymir as their commander, the giants will sail towards the battlefield. From the realm of the dead a second ship will set sail, and this ship carries the inhabitants of hell, with Loki as their helmsman. The fire giants, led by the giant Surt, will leave Muspell in the south to join against the gods.

Surt, carrying a sword that blazes like the sun itself, will scorch the earth. Meanwhile, Heimdall will sound his horn, calling the sons of Odin and the heroes to the battlefield. From all the corners of the world, gods, giants, dwarves, demons and elves will ride towards the huge plain of Vigrid ("battle shaker") where the last battle will be fought. Ragnarok: Doom of the Gods Odin will engage Fenrir in battle, and Thor will attack Jormungand. Thor will victorious, but the serpent's poison will gradually kill the god of thunder. Surt will seek out the swordless Freyr, who will quickly succumb to the giant. The onehanded Tyr will fight the monstrous hound Garm and they will kill each other. Loki and Heimdall, age-old enemies, will meet for a final time, and neither will survive their encounter. The fight between Odin and Fenrir will rage for a long time, but finally Fenrir will seize Odin and swallow him. Odin's son Vidar will at once leap towards the wolf and kill him with his bare hands, ripping the wolf's jaws apart. Then Surt will fling fire in every direction.

The nine worlds will burn, and friends and foes alike will perish. The earth will sink into the sea. After the destruction, a new and idyllic world will arise from the sea and will be filled with abundant supplies. Some of the gods will survive, others will be reborn. Wickedness and misery will no longer exist and gods and men will live happily together. The descendants of Lif and Lifthrasir will inhabit this earth. The strangest thing about Ragnark was that the gods already knew what was going to happen through the prophecy: who will be killed and by whom, who would survive, what happens to those in the other world. Despite knowing their fates, the gods will still defiantly face their destiny, as brave as any hero in a saga. The Norse gods knew what was to come, and knew they could not do anything to prevent the prophecy coming to pass. Valhalla The Hall of the Slain : Valhalla The Hall of the Slain : Valhalla, Hall of the Slain, in Norse mythology is the hall presided over by Odin. This vast hall has five hundred and forty doors.

The rafters are spears, the hall is roofed with shields and breast-plates litter the benches. A wolf guards the western door and an eagle hovers over it. It is here that the Valkyries, Odin's messengers and spirits of war, bring half of the heroes that died on the battle fields (the rest go to Freya's hall Folkvang). These heroes, the Einherjar, are prepared in Valhalla for the oncoming battle of Ragnarok. When the battle commences, eight hundred warriors will march shoulder to shoulder out of each door. Helheim The House of Hel : Helheim The House of Hel : Helheim ("House of Hel") is one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology. It is ruled by Hel, the monstrous daughter of the trickster god Loki and his mistress Angrboda. This cold, dark and misty abode of the dead is located in the world of Niflheim, on the lowest level of the Norse universe. No one can ever leave this place, because of the impassable river Gjoll that flows from the spring Hvergelmir and encircles Helheim. Once they enter Helheim, not even the gods can leave.

Those who die of old age or disease, and those not killed in battle, go to Helheim while those who die bravely on the battlefield go to Valhalla. The entrance to Helheim is guarded by Garm, a monstrous hound. The giant Hraesvelg ("corpse eater") sits at the edge of the world, overlooking Helheim, in the form of an eagle with flapping wings, he makes the wind blow. Garm The Original "Hel-Hound" : The monstrous hound Garm guards the entrance to Helheim, the Norse realm of the dead. It has four eyes and a chest drenched with blood, and lives in Gnipa-cave. Anyone who had given bread to the poor could appease him with Hel cake. On the day of Ragnarok, Garm will join the giants in their fight against the gods. Garm is often equated with the wolf Fenrir. It can also be compared with Cerberus, the Greek guardian of the underworld. Valkyries: The Choosers of the Slain The Valkyries ("Choosers of the Slain") are beautiful young women, mounted upon winged horses and armed with helmets and spears.

Odin needs many brave warriors for the oncoming battle of Ragnarok, and the Valkyries scout the battlefields to choose the bravest of those who have been slain. They escort these heroes to Valhalla They are also Odin's messengers and when they ride forth on their errands, their armor causes the strange flickering light that is called "Aurora Borealis" (Northern Lights). ... What do you believe about death and the afterlife LSU What do you believe about death and the afterlife? Please respond using Pages with a What do you believe about death and the afterlife

Question: In Norse mythology, which event, preceded by Fimbulvetr, is the final battle between the gods and the Frost Giants?
Answer: RAGNAROK